The Death of God? Summary and Analysis

In this chapter Karen Armstrong outlines the developments in the nineteenth century which led to questioning of the existence and relevance of God. The scientific work of Charles Darwin and the writings of Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud led to the conclusion that the traditional religions were now inadequate. Certainly Darwin's ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES seemed to negate the story of the Creation in Genesis. Nietzsche proclaimed that God was dead and taught that the Christian God was absurd and "a crime against life." Sigmund Freud considered belief in a God as an illusion, which people should discard. However, some Christians adapted to Darwin's discoveries and did not consider his theory to lead to preclusion of a deity. In a like manner, Jews and Muslims, not being as prone as Christians to the literal interpretation of...